1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to protective coverings for vehicles to protect the vehicle against dust during storage and against dust, dirt, bird droppings, animals such as cats and squirrels running on the vehicle, and adverse weather conditions when the vehicle is parked outdoors. The present invention also relates to improvements in protective vehicle covers to assist in carrying the protective cover in a folded condition within the vehicle when the protective cover is not in use and further to providing improvements in the manner in which the protective cover can be unwound into use. The present invention further relates to improvements in protective vehicle covers to make them theft proof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The concept of a protective covering for vehicles is well known and numerous inventions have been conceived and patented which embody various improvements on the basic theme of providing a covering material such as cloth over a vehicle to protect it from dust, dirt, animals and weather conditions. The following patents represent the closest prior art of which the inventor is aware:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,712,845 issued to Lange in 1955 for "Protective Covering". PA0 2. U.S. Pat. No. 2,751,977 issued to Pinkerton in 1956 for "One Man Automobile Cover". PA0 3. U.S. Pat. No. 2,874,709 issued to Cohen et al in 1959 for "Vehicle Protective Cover". PA0 4. U.S. Pat. No., 3,222,102 issued to Lucas in 1965 for "Vehicle Cover". PA0 5. U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,594 issued to London in 1971 for "Retractable Flexible Car Body Protector". PA0 6. U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,908 issued to Norman in 1973 for "Automobile Cover". PA0 7. U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,697 issued to Dabbs in 1974 for "Portable Collapsible Garage". PA0 8. U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,053 issued to Hrytzak et al in 1976 for "Sun Shield For Automobile". PA0 9. U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,427 issued to Huang et al in 1982 for "Automobile Bumper With Adiabatic Device". PA0 10. U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,418 issued to Koh in 1986 for "Vehicle Cover". PA0 11. U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,421 issued to Ross et al. in 1988 for "Self-Storing, Retractable Automobile Cover".
In all of the above inventions, the general idea is to protect all or a portion of a vehicle, most particularly a car, through use of a protective covering which is draped over the vehicle so as to shield the vehicle from outside elements. The improvements in the various patents relate to the method by which the protective covering is housed on the vehicle and how it is folded over the vehicle and subsequently how it is removed and stored.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,712,845 the cover is wound on a roller and is subsequently unwound to be draped over the vehicle. After use, the cover is rewound on the roller. The major flaw with this device is that rewinding the cover is a major chore and the user in most cases will simply fold the cover up after use and place it in the back seat of the vehicle or in the trunk. The second major flaw is that the cover can be easily removed with no effort, thereby subjecting it to be easily stolen.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,751,977 the cover is wound and is unwound by unwinding the roller with the assistance of a crank. The ends of the cover are attached to the vehicle bumper through the use of strings. Once again, rewinding the cover is a chore and again the cover must be stored in a clumsily wound fashion in the vehicle when the cover is not in use. Also, the cover can be easily stolen by a thief cutting the strings and removing the cover.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,874,709 the cover is enclosed within a structure attached to the roof of the vehicle . The cover is pulled down from the roof. Most users are unwilling to deface the roof of the vehicle with such a cover apparatus and further if left on the vehicle while the vehicle is in use, the apparatus lends substantial drag and wind resistance, thereby substantially reducing fuel economy.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,102 the cover is attached to the emergency brake of the vehicle. The same problems as with previous inventions are present in this embodiment. The cover is cumbersome to wind and unwind. The road guard is reduced due to the dimensions of the enclosing box. Understanding the potential safety hazard if the cover containing box opens when the car is moving, the inventor connected the box lid with the emergency brake adding one more complication to the already complicated system.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,594, the cover is mounted in a casing which is attached to the side of the vehicle and is unwound from the casing to cover a portion of the vehicle. The casing includes a roller with a spring actuated mechanism to rewind the cover. The device is cumbersome and is located at an inconvenient location adjacent and below a door on the vehicle. This prior art serves a different purpose since it covers just the door panel and only protects it against possible denting while the car is parked.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,908, the cover is held in place on the vehicle by magnets. Once again, the cover is cumbersome to place over the vehicle and to remove from the vehicle and is cumbersome to store in the vehicle when not in use. In addition, the cover can be easily removed form the vehicle and therefore easily stolen.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,697, the cover is mounted on a framework which itself is mounted on a pivotable framework which is housed in the truck of a car. There are several major problems with this prior art creation. The car with which it is used requires a trunk configuration wherein the trunk hinges are located at the rear of the trunk adjacent the rear bumper so that the trunk opens toward the rear of the vehicle. This type of hinge configuration is not used with present, day vehicles since it makes access to the trunk compartment difficult. The system occupies almost the full trunk capacity, leaving little room for luggage and other contents. To cover the car with the cover provided in this system requires the prior emptying of the trunk because any contents of the trunk would obstruct the maneuver of extending the cover supporting frame from the trunk over the car. In addition, since the pivotal framework can be caused to extend out of the trunk and thereafter the cover is unwound onto and over the vehicle, in addition to being cumbersome and unwieldy, it requires that the trunk must be left open so that the pivotal portion can extend out of the trunk. In modern day cars, the open trunk subjects the trunk light to go on, thereby draining the battery. In addition to the device itself being easily stolen, the open trunk is an invitation for the thief to steal the contents of the trunk. Therefore, the device is not practical.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,053, the covering is a sun shield designed to cover the roof and front of the vehicle. The housing is mounted on the top of the trunk. The result is a device which adds an unsightly appearance to the vehicle, adds wind resistance and decreases the aerodynamics of the vehicle, and only covers a portion of the vehicle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,427, the cover is attached to a casing which is attached to the bumper of the automobile. The covering is unwound from the casing to cover the automobile. Once again, the casing is fully exposed and can be easily removed from the automobile and therefore easily stolen. In addition, the system implies changes in the bumper construction and therefore departs from the existing impact safety standards. The system is also very complicated and cumbersome.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,418, the cover is held in a pocket within the trunk of a car and when removed from the trunk, is affixed to the pocket by strings. This device has several major disadvantages. The major problem with this invention, in addition to being cumbersome and unwieldy, is that the strings can extend out the back of the trunk so that the strings can be easily cut and the device easily stolen. In addition, another major problem with this system is that the application over the car and the folding of the cover is a difficult and messy operation to be performed by only one person. Folding the cover one would definitely dirty his or her hands and clothes, making this system far from being user friendly. Also by cutting the strings that go into the trunk the cover could be easily stolen.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,421, the invention relates to a casing which is attached to the back of a vehicle and has a cover which can be unwound from the casing to cover the vehicle and can be rewound through a spring which winds the cover back into the casing. In addition to being unsightly, the major problem with the device is that it can be easily stolen.
Therefore, in general, the prior art discloses car covers which are made of various types of fabric tailored to protect the top and all four sides of the car. When applied over the car the protective cover is usually fixed to the car body through the use of strings, hooks or other devices connecting the cover hem to bumpers or other parts of the car body. Another method of holding the car cover in place is through the use of an elastic string or a normal string enclosed in the bottom hem of the car cover. To alleviate the difficulty of applying the cover over the car and removing the cover from the car, prior art covers provided a single piece of fabric spirally wound on a roller enclosed in a box which box is mounted either at the front or rear of the car.
In summary, the prior art devices all suffer from one or more of the following disadvantages. In some cases the large dimensions of the containing box would seriously alter the aerodynamics and the aesthetics of the car. Also when the box is mounted on the trunk lid, the rear vision is reduced and when mounted under the bumper the road guard is reduced, therefore altering not only the aerodynamics and aesthetics of the car but also the car safety. In other cases, trying to reduce the size of the containing box, the inventors proposed a reduction in the amount of fabric and consequently the protected area of the car was reduced. In some prior art inventions proposing the cover winding in a tube, the car cover width was limited by the length of the tube being smaller or equal to the width of the car. The cover would then protect only the top side of the car or with the aid of side flaps the side windows too.
Added to the above disadvantages, the rolling of the cover usually brings in contact the exterior face with the interior face of the cover and after a few days of use both faces will be dusty and dirty, defeating the very purpose of a cover; namely, protection against dirt.
In some prior art embodiments when the cover is housed in the trunk of the car, the device requires that the car lid be opened during use, thereby resulting in a wearing on the battery and further resulting in opening up the trunk for possible theft.
In every single case, the device is attached in a manner which allows the cover to be stolen. This is not a problem if the car itself is off the street and is behind a locked gate. But, in most applications this is not the case and therefore the cover, in every single prior art embodiment, can be easily stolen.
Therefore, a significant need exists for a novel protective vehicle cover which can be stored in an efficient manner, wound onto the car and unwound from the car in an efficient manner, and affixed in a manner which will make the vehicle cover theft proof.